ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESS FOR DESTROYING PESTICIDE WASTE

THE PROPOSED PROCESS WILL UTILIZE AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL TO DESTROY PESTICIDES OR HERBICIDES DISSOLVED OR DISPERSED IN WATER THAT HAS BEEN MADE ALKALINE BY ADDING SODIUM HYDROXIDE. THIS PROCESS WILL CONSUME ELECTRICAL POWER, OXYGEN FROM THE AIR, AND SODIUM HYDROXIDE, NEEDED TO MAINTAIN AN ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE. THE ELECTRODES WILL BE CHOSEN TO FAVOR THE NET ELECTROCHEMICAL REACTION O2 + 3 OH-= HO2- + 2O- + H2O THE VERY REACTIVE OXIDIZING SPECIES O.- AND HO2- WILL INDISCRIMINANTLY OXIDIZE MOST ORGANIC COMPOUNDS DISSOLVED INWATER TO SODIUM CARBONATE AND OTHER INORGANIC SALTS. CARBONCATHODES ARE KNOWN TO REDUCE OXYGEN TO HYDROPEROXIDE ION. THE CRITICAL OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH IS TO IDENTIFY A SUITABLE ANODE MATERIAL. DESTRUCTION OF REPRESENTATIVE PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES WILL BE DEMONSTRATED DURING PHASE I, AND A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR A PROTOTYPE COMMERCIALWASTE TREATMENT UNIT WILL BE DEVELOPED. THE PROPOSED ELECTROCHEMICAL PESTICIDE WASTE TREATMENT PROCESS WILL REQUIRE ONLY ELECTRIC POWER AND INEXPENSIVE CHEMICALS, AND WILL PRODUCE WATER THAT CAN BE DISCHARGED SAFELY. THIS PROCESS WILL PURIFY WATER CONTAMINATED WITH PESTICIDES, AND CAN ALSO BE USED TO DESTROY LEFT-OVER PESTICIDES THAT ARE SOLUBLE IN WATER AT HIGH PH. THE PROCESS WILL INDISCRIMINATELY DESTROY MANY DIFFERENT ORGANICCOMPOUNDS, AND WILL BE WELL SUITED TO SMALL UNITS IN DISPERSED RURAL LOCATIONS. WHILE OUR RESEARCH WILL FOCUS UPON PESTICIDE WASTE TREATMENT, THIS PROCESS WILL HAVE BROAD APPLICATION TO OTHER HAZARDOUS WASTES..